John Van Benschoten

If Van Benschoten becomes a productive pitcher for the Pirates, it will go down as one of the biggest reversals in recent team history. The lanky right-hander finished with a 10.15 ERA and 2.154 WHIP in 39 innings with Pittsburgh. He failed to win a game in nine starts, going 0-7. His Triple-A numbers suggest an entirely different story, however, though it's hard to see how much they matter after watching him pitch at PNC Park. Van Benschoten went 10-7 with Indianapolis, compiling a 2.56 ERA and 1.367 WHIP. The 28-year-old was so disconsolate at one point he said he would consider switching back to a fielder. Van Benschoten led all NCAA Divison I batters with 31 homers as a junior at Kent State. Right now his future remains in flux. As a result, there's no reason to have him on your fantasy team.

Van Benschoten has pitched in five games in the last two seasons combined. He's had surgery on both of his shoulders and needs a miracle at this point in his career just to stay healthy. The Pirates No. 1 pick in 2001, Van Benschoten has only shown flashes of effectiveness in his minor league career, such as when he won his first five Double-A starts. It's hard to put a lot of faith in a pitcher as frail as Van Benschoten, however, unless you're the team who spent a top pick on him. For that reason, Van Benschoten will get as many opportunities to prove his value as his sore shoulders allow.

The Pirates would like Van Benschoten to start the 2006 campaign at Triple-A, building back his arm strength after missing the entire season following surgery to both of his shoulders. While that scenario could change with a couple of injuries to the pitching staff, Van Benschoten has yet to put in a full season at the Triple-A level. According to GM David Littlefield, he'll need to dominate hitters with Indianapolis before earning a recall. For that reason, Van Benschoten will likely have more fantasy value in 2007 than 2006.

Van Benschoten was called up from Triple-A last August after making 23 starts and appeared in six games (five starts) before shutting it down in late September with a fatigued shoulder. His name is already well known in keeper leagues and he should be in the mix for a rotation spot in Pittsburgh in 2005, though he will probably start the season at Indianapolis, where the Bucs would like to see him have more success at the Triple-A level than he did last season. The Pirates like Van Benschoten's makeup and his stuff and think that he might be able to add few MPH to his fastball by tweaking his pitching mechanics.

Already gobbled up in many keeper leagues, VanBenschoten is the Bucs' top pitching prospect after turning in a stellar 2003. He didn't lose a game until July 24 and finished the season with a 13-6 overall record and a 3.17 ERA. He also finished third in the organization with 127 Ks in 139 IP. He has a chance to pitch in the bigs this season, and once he makes it, he could be a rotation fixture for years to come.

VanBenschoten, the Pirates’ top prospect, justified the decision to use him as a pitcher by dominating the Sally League. He’s at least two years from the majors but a name to know for those of you in deep perpetual leagues.